Lake of Fire
by lottielovebuzz
Summary: Brynne was a true mermaid, who used her beauty and voice to lure sailors to their watery graves. Yet, when she's captured and rendered vulnerable, she realises that her previous belief of sailors are not entirely true, because this one in particular has something special in his soul... she just isn't sure what it is that's so special. JS/OC . ***HIATUS***
1. Chapter I

_**Okay, I've only got two long stories on the go now, and I can't have that. So, I'm posting this one. This is Lake of Fire. It contains my OC Brynne, who is a mermaid. So, if you don't like mermaid stories, you best hit the back button right now, as she's going to be in it a lot. :)**  
_

_**Disclaimer for the whole story - I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean. But I do own the characters you do not recognise and the story line. **_

_**So, I hope you enjoy the first chapter. It's a background to my mermaid, because after this chapter, she's not in it for a little while, so I wanted to introduce her straight away. As well as a couple of other OCs that are vital to the story... but if I say anymore, I'll give away the story, so you might as well just read the chapter! ;p**_

_**Oh, and the rating will probably change to "M" in later chapters. You have been warned. :D Though I don't know why that would be a warning... but whatever... ;p**_

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_~Where do bad folks go when they die?_  
_They don't go to heaven,  
Where the angels fly,  
The go to the lake of fire and fry.~_

_Nirvana - Lake of Fire._

* * *

**Lake of Fire.**

**Chapter I.**

'_Upon one summer's morning, I carefully did stray, down by the Walls of Wapping, where I met a sailor gay_.' A voice echoed throughout the cove, the sound eery and haunting, sending the fish hiding within the cave swimming away. '_Conversing with a young lass, who seemed to be in pain, saying William when you go I fear, you'll ne'er return again.'_

The owner of the voice dove down further with a large flip of her powerful fin.

'_My heart is pierced by Cupid, I distain all glittering gold, there is nothing can console me, but my jolly sailor bold. His hair it hangs in ringlets, his eyes as black as coal, my happiness attend him, wherever he may go._'

She turned her head to the left, her blonde hair getting caught in the ripples of the wave, and fanning out around her.

'_From Tower Hill to Blackwall, I'll wander, weep and moan, all for my jolly sailor, until he sails back home._'

Suddenly, a shadow descended over her, causing her to look up in surprise.

However, the surprised look on her face soon disappeared, and was replaced slowly by a manic, evil grin.

'_My heart is pierced by Cupid, I distain all glittering gold,_' she sang, as she propelled herself upwards with a large sweeps of her blue-tinged tail.

She finally broke the surface, and took in a large gasp of air. She didn't need to, but she always enjoyed the feel of taking a deep breath after being under water for so long.

'_There is nothing can console me… but my jolly… sailor… bold.' _She finished slowly, as she watched with pleasure as a small fishermen's ship came sailing past.

She reached up and pushed her blonde hair back and out of her face, before sinking back under the water, stopping so her eyes were still above the surface.

She propelled herself forward slowly, trying to figure out how to play this out. She should go and get her sisters to help her; to share this with her. But by the time she got back home, the ship would be long gone. That she didn't want, so with her mind made up, she dove down so she was completely obscured by the water.

She swam at her fastest speed, sending her sailing through the water, and causing her hair to whip out behind her like a flag caught in a wind.

She stopped just as she reached the hull of the ship, and stared at the railing, waiting for someone to notice her; something that didn't take long.

'Captain! You should see this!' A voice called, and she grinned as she bobbed under the water and brushed her hair back, before she resurfaced.

'Lord on high,' the Captain gasped, as he watched her bring her tail up out of the water, and slapping it against the surface, causing a large splash.

She spoke, her voice deep and smooth, and an unreadable glint in her eyes. 'Would any of you care to be my jolly sailor bold?'

Her hands traced the top of the water, her tail slowly flapping under it, keeping her afloat. She gazed up to them, her eyes wide… that unreadable glint still laying under the obvious seduction. Suddenly, inspiration hit her and she knew how to persuade the sailors. Her voice never failed to entrance them… no man ever escaped the daze a mermaid's voice put him in.

'_My name it is Maria, a merchant daughter's fair,' _she sang, but was interrupted by one of the sailors questioning her.

'Is your name Maria?' He asked, and she ducked under the water, in order to let out a hiss of anger. She resurfaced, a look of calm on her face again.

'My name can be whatever you chose.' She replied, hoping to maintain the mystery she was trying to create. She sailed closer to the hull of the vessel, lucky it was just a small boat, rather than those large ships that sometimes went by. She extended her arms and grasped onto the railing of the boat. She could've easily capsized it in that instant, but then she wouldn't have the pleasure of seeing the fear on their faces.

She hauled herself out of the water, and noticing that their eyes instantly went to her chest, which was left bare and uncovered by her hair.

She was used to this by now, and instead of cowering, she pushed her chest out and started to sing again, '_And I have left my parents, and three thousand pounds a year. Come all you pretty fair maids, whoever you may be, who love a jolly sailor bold,_'

Her fingers tightened their grasp around the railing of the boat. She looked around herself, making sure the sailors had no way out, and when she realised they were trapped, she finished the song. '_That plows the raging... ' _She took a pause as she allowed her true form to come through. Her straight, white teeth turned into pointed fangs, as her almost-teal eyes darkened into a deadly red.

The sailors had no time to react.

_'Sea.' _She finished, as she gave the hull of the ship a strong push, capsizing it, and rendering the sailors helpless.

~oOoOoOoOoOo~

She propelled herself through the water, a grin on her lips at her recent hunt. She moved herself out of the way of rocks, and sharks. Though the latter were more than willing to move for her.

However, she slowed as she reached a tall, wall of rock, that prevented her from moving any further forward. It didn't phase her, though, and she simply reached out with a long, pale finger, and stroked the rock.

Within an instant, a small, circular hole appeared at the bottom of the wall, and with a flick of her tail, she dove into it, swimming along the tight passage way until she reached the end.

The inside of the secret passage was no different to the outside. There were still rocks scattered around everywhere, and fish and other aquatic animals swam around ignorant to the visitor. The only difference from the outside was the fact several other mermaids were littered around this cave.

One particular mermaid, who was sitting higher than the rest, noticed the arrival of the new mermaid and smirked.

'Brynne,' she called, signalling with her hand, inviting Brynne up to her throne.

After smiling in response, Brynne gave her blue tail a powerful flick, and headed over to the fiery-haired leader.

'Talulah.' She greeted, as she stopped in front of her, bowing her head slightly.

'My sister, how often have I told you, there is no need for formality amongst us.'

Brynne laughed. 'That may be, but do you want to start a revolution?' She joked, as she moved further forward, sitting in the chair to the right of Talulah's throne. The other chair on the left was still empty.

'I take it you had a successful hunt?' Talulah asked, as she flicked her green tail downwards, a silent ripple floating through the cavern.

Every other mermaid stopped what they were doing, and turned towards the two sisters.

'Yes, they are hidden under the shipwreck at the south of the Great Tree.' She answered, and the other mermaids muttered their approval. A large haul was always hidden there.

Talulah smirk widened. 'Excellent.' She turned towards the large crowd. 'Who wishes to come?'

Nearly every mermaid raised their hand, shouting excitedly. Taking part in the kill was more fun, but a fresh kill was just as pleasurable.

'Very well, come along.' She rose from her throne, and headed towards the exit, the others following behind her, never daring to overtake her.

Soon, the only ones left in the cavern were Brynne, and a smaller, daintier mermaid; her brown hair adorned with sea flowers, and her red-tinged tail scooping up the sand.

'Have you had another disagreement with her, Marion?' Brynne asked, as she moved from her throne, swimming over to the other mermaid.

'When do we not?' She retorted, loathing filling her eyes, as she turned to look at the blonde mermaid.

'We are sisters. I should not have to relay between you!' Brynne exclaimed, throwing her hands up.

'Tell that to _her, _not to _me_! I don't want to fight; it's not my fault she holds a grudge.'

'Marion, you have to-'

'I do not have to do anything!' Marion exploded, shooting up from her position on the seafloor.

'She's the one that has to get rid of the grudge, deflate the ego, and realise there are _three _of us! Not just her and then two sidekicks. We are leaders as well! We are all queens, and the sooner she realises that, the better.'

And with those words said, she sighed and swam away to her own private quarters, hoping to get some peace. But Brynne wasn't about to let that happen. She wanted to find out what the disagreement was about.

'Marion, talk to _me_ then. If you won't talk to her, talk to me.'

'Oh, so you can go and tell her? Like you always do? There is no point, she will not forget or forgive.'

'But I have told you before, I don't want my sisters fighting! I don't like the fact that the three of us haven't sat on our thrones together since it happened!' Brynne exploded, after giving a loud hiss that had Marion recoiling away from her. 'I'm sick fed up of always being out of my home, because I can't stand the animosity between my sisters. You need to grow up Marion, and realise that this isn't going away if you don't talk about it!'

She ran a hand through her hair, before she shook her head once and turned back towards the entrance of the cave, heading back out to the open water. Just as she reached her hand out to activate the magic that opened the tunnel, she turned back around to see Marion swimming out from her room and looking at her with an apologetic look on her face.

She didn't react, however, and slid her finger down the wall to open the tunnel. And just before she dove into it, she called to Marion, 'Y'know something, I think you enjoy the hatred.'

And with a flick of her blue tail, she had disappeared, leaving Marion alone with that sentence echoing around inside her head.

~oOoOoOoOoOo~

'Brynne! Where are you going? I thought you were staying behind with Marion?' Talulah called, and Brynne stopped swimming and looked back at her sister.

'I am going a swim. It is always suffocating in there.' She admitted, as she turned to leave and head for any destination. She was sick fed up of this, and she just wanted to disappear for a while. She didn't care where; she didn't care how long; she just need to _go_.

'Well, don't take too long... I have a plan that may interest you.' Talulah called after her as she started to swim away.

Brynne froze. She turned her head slowly, her blonde hair fanning out around her as she did so. Her eyes narrowed marginally, and a smirk found its way on to her lips. When Talulah had a plan, it was always fun, it was always exciting, and it always caused pain for sailors.

She swam so she was in front of her, and her smirk pulled up at one side.

'Just what kind of plan are we talking about?' She asked, and Talulah said nothing in reply. She just smirked at her and Brynne knew straight away that she was going to enjoy this plan very much.

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_**Now, this is the end of the first chapter! Let me know what you think in a review!**_

_**I also have a Facebook page! The link is on my profile page. It'll soon have face characters and covers made my Jandra1969. And I'll post sneak peeks and all of that good stuff! :)**_

_**And this story will be updated every Wednesday. There is a schedule on my profile, that is updated to inform you of every update. :D**_

_**So, don't forget to review, and like my Facebook page! Thanks for reading! 3**_

_**~Charlotte.x **_


	2. Chapter II

**_Now, this chapter is REALLY short, but I wanted to put it in, because well... it was fun to write. And there is a character introduced in this chapter that is very important later on. So, don't worry about the shortness. It's only this chapter that is this short. :D_  
**

**_Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! Or alerted! Or added to their favourite list! It makes my day getting that email through! I can't believe I've gotten 9 reviews for the first chapter. _**

**_I hope you enjoy this chapter, despite the shortness!_**

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_~I have spoken with the tongue of the angels,  
I have held the hand of the Devil,  
It was warm in the night.  
I was cold as a stone.  
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for.~_

_U2 - I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For._

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**Chapter II.**

'Secure the rigging! Get us more sails! Come on, this is supposed to be the fastest ship in the Caribbean, the way it's going, sea turtles could overtake us!' He barked, and his men had to clench their jaws and bite their tongues to stop themselves from responding.

'He'd know all about sea turtles, wouldn't he?' A crew member asked his companion, who scoffed in laughter.

'What was that Harrison?' Captain Jack Sparrow asked, slamming the lid of his compass shut and fixing his glare onto the man.

'Nothing, Cap'n!' Harrison replied with a grin, carrying out the orders.

He knew his captain had been on a short wire with everyone since the quest for the Fountain went sour. Jack Sparrow had been searching for immortality near enough all his life, and just as he got close enough it was taken away from him.

He was not amused with this. And he never will be.

'Good.' He snapped, giving his compass and shake before reopening it. 'Fucking hell!'

He lifted his arm up, ready to throw the compass into the ocean when he thought better of it. It could come in handy again. Once he figured out _exactly _what he wanted.

Because right now, he didn't want to live forever… he wanted the warmth of a woman's flesh.

He looked up and saw a small island in front of him, and he smirked. He was going to get his wish soon.

'Weigh anchor!' He ordered, laying just off of the bay. 'Get the longboats ready.'

He moved away from the large wheel, a grin playing on his lips as he regarded his favourite island.

'Ah, Tortuga… how I've missed you.'

~oOoOoOoOoOo~

'So, can you live forever now, Jack?' She asked, stroking his bare chest.

His eyes immediately narrowed and he threw the covers away from him body and left the bed.

'Where are you going?'

'Back to my ship.' He answered shortly, picking up his breeches and tugging them on.

'Why?' She pouted, taking the covers and wrapping them around her body.

She stood from the bed and walked over to him, standing in front of him as he pulled his shirt on over his head.

'Because I don't take kindly to being mocked, love.'

'Mocked? I wasn't mocking you!' She replied, running a hand through her blonde hair.

He cringed slightly, he had always preferred brunettes. He had yet to meet a blonde that captured his interest… or a blonde that could hold a conversation, for that matter.

'You asked if I could live forever.' He hissed, moving her out of the way as he tried to find his boots.

He got down to his hands and knees in order to look under the bed. He found one there. As he stood back up, his brow was furrowed.

How the hell did _one _of his boot get under the bed? And where the hell was his other one?

He turned in a circle, looking for it, but still couldn't see it.

'Is this what you're looking for?' She asked, holding one brown boot in her left hand, her right holding the covers to her form.

'Aye.' He nodded, reaching out with his hand to take it from her. 'Thanks Marie.'

'It's Natalie!' She replied hotly, narrowing her eyes at him.

'Yeah, whatever.'

He was just about to leave when she spoke again, 'I asked you because I was curious, not to mock you.'

He gritted his teeth, he couldn't deal with this anymore. He didn't _want_ to deal with this anymore.

'Look, love, that question should've been answered as soon as I walked into the tavern. When you've got forever to live, do you think I'd settle for someone as easy as you?'

He left quickly, slamming the door behind him just in time, as she reached for the closest thing to her - which just so happened to be a vase - and threw it at him.

It shattered to a million pieces and he just winced as he heard it do so, just a few feet away from it.

~oOoOoOoOoOo~

'Cap'n, you're back early.' Gibbs stated, watching as his captain strolled onto the deck. The rest of the crew were bringing the supplies aboard.

'I am?' He asked, looking around himself, before shrugging and walking up to the helm.

Gibbs followed him after telling a member to take some meat to the galley for the cook.

'Were you successful in your quest?' Gibbs asked, and Jack stared at him for a second.

'Aye, I settled for an easy blonde… she's not the best I've had but -'

'Eh, I didn't mean _that _quest, Cap'n… I meant, did you find anyone who gave you any advice on your quest for immortality?'

Jack clenched his jaw, as he stared out towards the horizon.

'No. No I did not.' He sighed, his eyes focusing on the sun that was slowly descending. 'I will though. Don't worry about it.'

He continued to stare at the sun, scratching his chin, his facial hair running coarse against his fingernails.

'What is it you want most in the world, Master Gibbs?' He asked suddenly, tearing his eyes away from the horizon, and back to his grey haired first mate.

'Cap'n?' Gibbs asked, not really sure what that meant.

Why did he want to know what his greatest desire was? What had that to do with finding another way to live forever?

'It isn't living forever, is it?' He asked, his chocolate eyes meeting Gibbs' blue ones.

'Nay sir, it's not.'

Jack pursed his lips and nodded his head. 'Thought as much, now, go and do… something.'

Jack then turned and walked away from him, leaving Gibbs positively confused.

He walked towards his cabin and opened the door. Once inside he shut it behind him, and walked over to his desk, flopping down on his seat.

He pulled his legs up and rested his feet on the desk. He let his head fall backwards and rest against the top of his chair.

Closing his eyes he let out a groan.

'Why the _fuck _is it so hard to live forever?' He demanded, his eyes flying open and he looked around the room, as if he was going to find the answer there.

'Because it's not supposed to happen?' A small voice answered, and Jack's head flew to the side to see the owner of the voice.

'Derek, how long have you been there?' Jack asked, pulling his feet down from the desk and looking at the small boy.

He stood up and walked over to Derek, standing in front of him with his hands on his hips.

'Not long, sir, I was cleaning your cabin when you barged in.' Derek answered, lifting up the bag of rubbish he had in his hand.

Jack nodded and then remembered what he had said before, he brought it up, 'What did you mean with by your answer, lad?'

'Well… Mummy always says that death is a part of life, and that we shouldn't be afraid of it. So, maybe that's why it's difficult to live forever, because you're not supposed to?'

Jack clicked his tongue, as he moved his hands away from his hips, and crossed them over his chest.

'You know, you're just like your mum.' He replied, before he rolled his eyes and looked over to the table.

It was then he noticed there was something missing. Something very important.

'Oi, where's my rum?' He asked, turning his head back to Derek.

'All your bottles were empty, sir.' Derek replied, his lips pulled into a smile at Jack's comparison.

'Oh,' Jack said softly, stroking his moustache. 'Right, well, do you want to go and get my some, Derek?'

'Aye, aye, sir!'

Jack ruffled his hair before Derek took off to fulfil his order.

He walked back over to his desk and sat back down on his seat. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his compass, giving it a good shake before he opened it.

When he did, he gave a grin.

'I guess we have our heading.'

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**_As I said, it's short. But what did you think in spite of that? ;p_**

**_Review! It makes my day, and inspires me to write! _**

**_~Charlotte.x_**


	3. Chapter III

_**Here is chapter three of Lake of Fire. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Don't worry, Brynne will be back soon! I promise. **  
_

_**Thank you all so much for your support! It means so much to me!**_

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_~Well I got one chance left in a nine cat life,_  
_I got a dog eat dog sly smile,  
I got a Molotov cocktail with a match to go,  
I smoke my cigarette with style.~_

_Guns N' Roses - Nightrain._

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**Chapter III.**

'Take the helm, Gibbs. Sail her steady towards Haiti.' Jack advised, stretching his arms above his head, before he moved away from the helm and his first mate, and wandered to his cabin.

He lifted the bottle of rum from his table, before he moved to his bed and collapsed on it.

After taking a sip from the bottle, he placed it on the table by the side of his bed, and then pulled out his compass from his pocket. He gave it a firm shake, before opening it with pursed lips.

'I _do_ know what I want!' He exclaimed, before he threw the compass away, it hit against the hard wood of the cabin wall and then fell to the floor.

'Bloody sturdy thing.' He sighed, as he looked at it and realised that it wasn't broken.

He kicked off both of his boots, then he raised his hips to take off his weapon belt. He let it slip through his fingers and fall to the ground, before he turned over to his side and closed his eyes, falling asleep in an instant, with dreams of immortality plaguing his thoughts.

~oOoOoOoOoOo~

'Cap'n?' A voice called, drawing him from his thoughts, as he stood by the helm gazing off into the distance.

'Aye?' He called back, tearing his eyes away from the horizon and looking down to the deck, finding Harrison and most of the crew looking up at him.

'Bugger.' He hissed, as he pulled on the rope that he kept by the helm, and placed it over one of her spokes, steering her steady.

He moved away and down the stairs, coming to stand in front of them with his hand resting on the butt of his pistol.

'Gentlemen? What seems to be the problem?' He asked, trying to keep his voice light. He was not going to let this happen again. He was _not_.

'Nothing is the problem, Captain.' Harrison replied, trying soothe his captain. He had no intention of carrying out a mutiny. He thought his captain to be fair and honest, and wasn't about to try and overthrow him.

However, he wanted answers. He wanted to try and talk sense into Jack. And to attempt that, he needed backup.

'We just wanted to know where we're heading.'

'Haiti. I've told you that.' Jack replied, still not moving his hand away from his pistol. Maybe they had no intention of mutinying against him, but he didn't want to take the chance. Maybe this would get violent… he didn't want to be unprepared.

'Why?'

'What?'

'Why are he going to Haiti?' Harrison elaborated, after rolling his eyes. He had known Jack too long for that trick to work on him.

'For information.'

'About?' Gibbs pressed, jumping in from his place beside Harrison. He was probably the first person Jack would tell, then second would probably be Harrison. Though, he had to admit, he did tell a lot to his cabin boy, Derek.

'Immortality.'

The rest of the crew groaned and rolled their eyes as soon as that word left their captains lips. They were sick fed up looking for a way for their captain to live forever. Most of them weren't against the idea of living forever, they just couldn't be bothered with the amount of work that came with it.

Part of them admired the captain for sticking true to his desires, and fighting to get what he wanted. But the more dominant part of them just couldn't put up with it anymore. Especially when he got mad every time they didn't succeed in finding a way to live forever.

'Don't you think you should give the quest up, Cap'n?' Another sailor spoke up, though he was hiding behind Harrison so Jack couldn't see him. He didn't want to get on his bad side. No one wanted to be on the bad side of Captain Sparrow.

'No! I _will _find a way to live forever. And if any of you aren't willing to put up with that, then you can jump ship at Haiti when we dock there.' Jack informed, his eyes looking over every one of his crew members.

The crew said nothing in reply, before they slowly dispersed and went back to their duties.

Jack waited until everyone of them was doing something, before he walked back up to the helm, taking the rope off of the spoke and holding the ship steady.

He stayed that way until they docked in Haiti that night.

~oOoOoOoOoOo~

'What made you pick Haiti, Jack?' Gibbs asked, as he walked down the gangplank beside his captain.

'Haven't the faintest. It was the first island that popped into my head.' Jack answered truthfully, as his feet touched the solid wood of the dock. He stopped and perused the island, trying to find an appealing tavern to go to.

'So, you have no idea if there is anyone on this island that knows about living forever?' Gibbs asked, trying to clarify the way Jack was thinking.

'Exactly!' Jack replied, turning to the side to grin widely at Gibbs.

Gibbs stopped in his tracks for a second to shake his head, before he started after Jack again. They walked to the tavern that they saw, walking into it and sitting down at a table.

A barmaid walked up to the table, a cloth in one of her hand. She picked up the rum bottles that littered their table, before dusting it over with the cloth.

'What can I get you, lovely?' She asked, her auburn hair falling into her eyes and annoying her. However, she had no free hands to move it away, so resorted to huffing some air to try and move it. It didn't work, though, and it fell back into her eyes again, causing her to groan.

Jack grinned, before he reached out and tucked the stray strand of hair behind her ear, causing her to flush.

'Two bottles of rum… and the time you get off.' He winked at her.

'Coming right up, sir.'

'Captain Jack Sparrow, love.'

She bit her lip, her face turning an ever deeper shade of red. 'Coming right up, Captain Sparrow.'

She turned on her heel, and stumbled back to the bar to get his order.

Jack watched after he with a grin on his lips, before he turned back to Gibbs, who was wearing a disapproving look on his face.

'What?' He asked hotly, and Gibbs shook his head.

'She can't be any older than eighteen!'

'Trifles.' Jack dismissed, waving his hand before turning his head to the young woman again, who was coming back with the two bottles of rum. The blush on her chest had slowly started to ebb.

'There you go, Captain,' she smiled, sitting both rum bottles on the table. She turned to leave, but before she did, she leaned down and whispered, 'I get off at midnight.'

Jack grinned at her, and watched her retreating figure once again.

'Shut it, Gibbs!' He snapped, turning back to his first mate with narrowed eyes.

'I didn't say anything.' Gibbs defended, removing the rum bottle from his lips.

'You were thinking!'

Gibbs said nothing and only rolled his eyes, raising his rum bottle to his lips and taking another sip from it. Jack followed his movement exactly, right down to the eye roll.

~oOoOoOoOoOo~

'So, this was a pointless journey?' Gibbs asked, looking around the tavern, before looking down to the table, where six bottles of rum were standing on it, completely empty. He then raised his eyes to his captain, who was sitting on his seat, the young auburn haired woman on his lap.

'I wouldn't say pointless.' He grinned, nodding his head towards the woman, who he learned was called Carolyn.

'You wanted hints of immortality.'

'Maybe, but I've got something better.'

Gibbs rolled his eyes, 'Aye for now, then later it'll be the crew that gets your wrath because you're no closer to living forever.'

Jack narrowed his eyes at his first mate, and went to tell him to leave him alone, when another conversation caught his attention. The voices were coming from directly behind him.

'Aye. Just off the coast of Cuba.' The voice said, and murmurs of amazement sounded around it. 'Apparently there is a witch there, who is willing to grant the first five people their greatest desire.'

'It's real?' Another voice jumped in and asked, and Jack turned his head to the side a bit, trying to listen in better.

Carolyn started talking, cutting off the first voice's reply to the question. Though he was positive he heard the word "mermaid", and he knew that where there were mermaids, there was the truth of legends.

'Will you shut up!' Jack snapped at her, grabbing her waist and hauling her off his lap. He turned to look behind him, but discovered that the men that had been talking had dispersed. He cursed under his breath, and turned back to the woman. She looked at him, tears stinging her eyes at the rejection. With a sniffle of sadness, she stomped away from him and back to her room upstairs.

'Gibbs! Get up! Get the crew together!' He ordered, standing up from his seat and pulling Gibbs up and off of his seat as well.

'What? Why? Jack, what's happening?'

'Shut it! Just get the crew together!'

'Why?' Gibbs tried again, not moving to fulfil his order. Jack realised that he wasn't going to leave until he told him what was happening. So, with that in mind, he turned to Gibbs with a grin.

'We're going to Cuba.'

* * *

_**Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed it!**_

_**And don't forget to review this story. This means so much to me. :)**_

_**~Charlotte.x**_


	4. Chapter IV

_**Okay, we have Chapter 4 of Lake of Fire here... and I hope you all like it and find it interesting! ;D**_

_**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this! Or even just read it! It means so much to me! :D**_

* * *

_~She's the wave,  
She turns the tide,  
And nobler still,  
She knows why.~_

_U2 - Mysterious Ways._

* * *

**Chapter IV.**

'You still haven't told us the reason we're heading to Cuba, Jack.' Gibbs declared, as he climbed the stairs to the helm where Jack was.

'Why do you need to know? Don't you trust me?' Jack retorted, as he smirked and looked at Gibbs from the corner of his eyes. He turned the wheel slightly to the left before he turned turned it in a half turn to the right instead.

'No I don't.' Gibbs replied instantly, not thinking that it may have consequences. It just slipped from his tongue. And it was partly true! He used to trust Jack with everything; no matter what action Jack was taking, he knew it was for the best. He trusted Captain Jack Sparrow with his life - and had done on more than one occasion. But now, he didn't know if he could. He was far too obsessed with living forever, that it was plaguing his mind; affecting his judgment, and that was never a good thing for a captain of a ship.

Jack turned to look at him, his eyes hard as he clenched his jaw. He inhaled deeply through his nose, his nostrils flaring at the movement, before he closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, the hard edge from his eyes had disappeared and he unclenched his jaw as he said, 'Well, I don't care. I heard rumours of wishes being granted when we were in that tavern. I just wanted to see if they were true or not. If they are; splendid. If they're not, well, it'll be a nice little trip to Cuba, savvy?'

Gibbs shook his head once, before he sighed, realising he wasn't going to be able to talk sense into Jack. He was determined to go to Cuba; he was determined to live forever. Nothing was going to change that.

'I just hope you know what you're doing, Jack.' He finished, before he turned and walked back down the stairs going to fulfil his orders.

'Even my first mate isn't trusting me. I'm doomed.'

~oOoOoOoOoOo~

_'When I was a lad in a fishing town, my old man said to me: "you can spend your life, your jolly life, sailing on the sea. You can search the world for pretty girls, till your eyes grow weak and dim, but don't go fishing for a mermaid, son, if you don't know how to swim". 'Cause her hair was green as seaweed, her skin was blue and pale, I loved that girl with all my heart, I only liked the upper part, I did not like the tail.'_

'Brynne! Will you stop with the singing? You're singing a stupid human song, that paints us as ugly creatures, willing to fall in love with humans. It's degrading.'

Brynne rolled her eyes as she turned to her fiery headed sister.

'It's a song, Talulah. It's hardly fact. And it's catchy.' She retorted, as she brushed her blonde hair back and turned her face back to the front. 'And I wouldn't have to be singing if your plan had worked! I wouldn't be bored to my death if your so called brilliant idea was actually brilliant!'

Talulah gave a hiss in annoyance, as she closed her eyes and clenched her jaw tightly shut.

_'So I signed aboard a whaling ship, and my first very day at sea, there I spied in the waves, reaching out for me,"come live with me in the sea" said she, "down on the ocean floor, and I'll show you many a wondrous thing, that you've never seen before.'_

'Brynne! Shut up with the songs!' Talulah hissed as she rounded on her sister, her red hair flaring out around her, giving the appearance of fire. She was burning under the water.

'You do not tell me what to do Talulah! If I wish to sing, I will sing. I will only stop when _I _want to. Do you understand that? You're forgetting I am the only one that can do this plan of yours! So, either put up with my singing, or go away. I can do this without you, anyway.'

_'So over I jumped and she pulled me down, down to her seaweed bed, a pillow made of tortoiseshell, she placed beneath my head, she fed me shrimp and caviar, upon a silver dish, from her head to her waist was just to my taste, but the rest of her was fish.'_

Talulah ground her teeth together, and decided that she had finally had enough. 'Fine! Do whatever you want! But I want news of this in an hour. Someone should be around soon.'

'You hope.' Brynne muttered as her sister turned and swam away from her at her fastest speed. Just eager to get away from her.

'What's so bloody wrong about the song anyway?' She asked herself, but no one was about to answer her. At least, that's what she thought.

'You know what she's like. She hates people thinking of us as weak or capable of falling in love with humans. She doesn't like us being misrepresented.'

Brynne turned around as fast as she could, a hiss exploding from her throat as soon as she heard the voice jump out from the silence. She flipped herself backwards and crowded down on the owner of the voice, her hands finding themselves around the slender neck of the intruder.

'Brynne! Brynne it's me! Marion!'

Brynne immediately let go of her sister's neck and threw herself a few feet away, and backed herself up against the wall.

'Sorry, Marion.' She apologised as she bit her bottom lip as she pushed herself away from the wall, and moved back to the place she was at before.

_'Then one day, she swam away, so I sang to the clams and the whales, "oh, how I miss her seagreen hair, and the silvery shine of her scales, then her sister, she swam by, and set my heart awhirl, from her head to her waist was an ugly fish, but the rest of her was girl.'_

'Though, I have to admit. The song does sound a tad ridiculous.' Marion concluded, as she moved over to sit by her sister on the wall of rock that was scattered around the seabed.

'Perhaps, but it is always fun to sing.' Brynne informed, as she winked at her sister and brought her platinum blonde hair over her shoulder. '_'Cause her hair was green as seaweed,_ _her skin was blue and pale,_ _I loved that girl with all my heart,_ _I did not like the upper part, but the lower half is how I get my -'_

'Brynne!' Marion cut her off before she could finish the end of the song.

'Oh Marion! Don't be so innocent.'

'It's nothing to do with innocence, I just don't like you talking about something so intimate so easily.'

'There's always one in every family.' Brynne muttered under her breath, causing Marion to gently slap her arm. 'We don't fall in love, Marion. If we did, there would be male mermaids… what do the humans call them? Mermen? I think that's it. But we don't. We mate with human males, then drag them to the bottom of the ocean once they've fulfilled their purpose. It's what we do.'

'What if you're wrong?' Marion replied instantly, her green tail flicking impatiently as everything she had been thinking of poured out of her mouth. 'We only think that because we've been brought up to think that. What if the men are nice? What if not every human is bad. We cannot judge an entire species because we've had a few bad experiences!'

'"A few bad experiences"? Seriously, Marion? They have killed our kind! They have killed our kind looking for beauty, and wealth, and immortality. They do not care for us; they wish to get whatever they can from us, and then they discard us, leaving us to die.'

'_Some _of them will! Just the same way that we go about killing some of us!'

'For safety, dominance and territory.'

'Of course you would see it that way. You're our number one killer.' Marion muttered in disgust, and Brynne's eyes flashed as she whipped her head around to face her sister once more. She reached across and grabbed Marion's wrist in a death grip, twisting it so she looked at her with wide, fearful eyes.

'Marion, I love you. But do not look at me with those eyes again. I do what I do because it keeps us safe. I do what I do because it's what I was born to do. Do not forget that. I know that I am the number one killer, but do not think that I do not have a heart!'

She released Marion's wrist with a strong push, before she threw herself off the rocks and propelled herself away from the place she was supposed to stay. She knew that she was supposed to stay at that spot, so that the plan worked, but she couldn't do it. She needed to get away from there, mainly because she couldn't stand being in Marion's company anymore.

She thought that the tension was just between Marion and Talulah, but she realised now that it included her as well. Ever since it happened, she no longer could tolerate them both for long periods of time. Talulah's dominance was too much to stand, and Marion's kindness was infuriating just the same.

Brynne stopped suddenly and she looked up towards the sky. The sun was shining directly above her, an she slowly started to propel herself upwards, sighing deeply as she did.

As she broke the surface of the water, she brushed her hair back and out of her face. It clung to her neck and droplets of water trailed down her nose and over her lips, before falling off her chin and back into the water.

She was just about to go back under the water, when something caught her attention from the corner of her eye.

She turned her head and saw a large, black ship coming towards her. Her eyes widened in shock and panic as it slowly started to reach her.

She couldn't deal with a ship this size by herself, it would only end in disaster. A crowd of people could overpower her, and she knew that she couldn't capsize the ship. She was strong, but she was not that strong. She could only do that with small, fishermen boats.

Not wasting anymore time, she threw herself back under the water not risking the chance of being seen.

Yet, as started to swim away from the ship, she felt a sharp pain on her fin. She hissed as she turned around to see what was causing her such pain and found a small hook embedded in her fin.

'What the hell?' She asked, as she curled herself around and pulled her tail upwards, so her fin was in front of her face. She touched the metal that had pierced through her tail and tried to pull it out, but it only caused her more pain.

She stopped in her movement, and took a deep breath in, before she yanked the hook from her tail and threw it away from her. She cried out as she did so, because the pain was unlike anything she had felt before. She very rarely got into situations that caused her pain, and she had never injured her tail. That was vital, she never let any damage come to that.

A small amount of blood started to ooze from the wound but she shook it off; her body healed faster than humans or fish. She had no doubt that her tail would've healed by tomorrow, but she knew that a scar would mar her beautiful blue tail.

'Stop with the vanity, and get away.' She hissed at herself, as she turned her head to take in her surroundings.

It was then she saw a small shoal of fish swimming towards her, as if trying to escape something.

'What the hell?' She found herself repeating, and stayed where she was as the fish passed her with urgency.

She was just about to turn and follow them, when something wrapped around her.

Netting.

She cried out and gave a hiss as it curled around her tail; her hands getting caught between one of the holes of the net. It started to haul her upwards through the water, and she started to fight against the bonds that held her still.

'What is happening?' She asked aloud, but no one was there to answer her.

Suddenly, she was out of the water, and was being hauled onto the ship.

'No.' She whispered as she realised what was going to happen. She found herself crying out again as she landed on to the deck of the large ship, and she couldn't stop herself anymore. Brynne gave a loud hiss as she trashed against the netting she was entangled in, trying to get free. It cut around her neck, and she felt a small trickle of blood trail down her neck as it cut into the soft flesh.

'Lord on high.' Gibbs whispered, as the crew didn't move, but continued to stare at her as she flapped her tails and clawed at the net.

They were aware of the fact their captain was shouting at them, asking what was wrong and why they were just standing there. They were also aware of the fact that he had moved away from the helm and had walked down to stand amongst them, pushing a few of his crew members out of the way to get a better look.

He froze when he saw Brynne still thrashing around on the deck, trying to break free of the bonds. The water from the haul still enough to keep her in her mermaid form for now.

No one dared to speak, but someone then broke the silence by uttering the words they were all too amazed to say.

'It's a mermaid.'

* * *

_**What d'you think will happen next?**_

_**Review and let me know! Oh, and if you have a Facebook page, I have one for you to like, where I post updates in writing and all that good stuff! So, like that, the link is on my profile page! :D**_

_**~Charlotte.x**_


	5. Chapter V

_**Okay, so now we have the first real interaction between our beloved captain, and my beloved mermaid. :D**  
_

**_A big thank you to all you people who are reading this! Even if you don't review, I love that you read this! :D_**

* * *

_~I'll seek you out,  
Flay you alive,  
One more word and you won't survive,  
And I'm not scared of your stolen power,  
See right through you any hour.  
I won't soothe your pain,  
I won't ease your strain,  
You'll be waiting in vain,  
I got nothing for you to gain.~_

_Blue Foundation - Eyes on Fire._

* * *

**Chapter V.**

'A mermaid?' A voice questioned the statement and it seemed to thaw everyone out of their state of shock.

Brynne was trying helplessly to pull herself free of the netting that held her prisoner, and kept her on this ship, completely to the mercy of the humans that were crowding around her.

She saw someone from the corner of her eye trying to approach her, and she turned her head wildly to the side, facing him. Her teeth grew into fangs, and her eyes turned deadly red, and she gave a loud, bloodthirsty hiss that sent him stepping back.

With one final tug, she was free of the netting, and she breathed a small sigh of relief, before she looked around herself, taking in the scene around her. She needed to get away, and she wasn't afraid to take a few sailors with her, if she needed to. In fact, she _wanted _to, because of all the worry and fear they had put her through already. She wasn't supposed to feel fear; she was supposed to be the tough one.

It was then she saw another sailor coming towards her again, and she with no netting to hold her back, she lunged at him with another loud hiss. He backed away from her, and managed to escape her, but it was enough to send the crew back a few feet away from her.

Suddenly, a funny feeling ran down her tail. It was tingling and starting to go numb.

'No.' She whispered, her voice empty as she saw her beautiful blue tail fade away into two pale, creamy white legs. The tingling feeling spread through her whole body, as it started to adjust from a body meant to live at the sea, to a body meant to live on land.

She gasped and sputtered, trying to get air into her lungs, now that it was essential to her survival. Her hands slammed onto the deck of the ship, and she started to pull herself towards the railing, but as soon as she was close, her tail had completely transformed into a pair of long legs.

She grabbed ahold of the railing, and tried to pull herself up, but her legs gave out from underneath her, and she fell against the deck again with a hard thud.

Taking pity on her, Jack took a step forward to help her.

She heard his boot hit against the wood, and her head whipped around to see what was happening. As he saw him approach, she pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them as she mustered the loudest and most veracious hiss she could.

'Get away!' She screamed, as her fighting instinct kicked in again. She couldn't just sit her, cowering against the wood. She had survived as a human before, surely she could do it again.

'Calm down, love, I only want to help.' Jack explained, holding his hands up in defeat and taking a step backwards.

'Help? You humans do not know how to help! You are all so greedy; so gullible.' She growled, her eyes narrowed into slits, watching for any sign that someone was going to attack her.

'"Greedy"? "Gullible"? What makes you say that?' Jack asked, looking at her with curious eyes, his lips trying to tug into a grin.

Brynne didn't reply straight away. She continued to stare at him, curious to the way he was behaving. All the other sailors had coiled away when she had lunged at one of their men, but here this man was, standing not too far from her, grinning at her, apparently unfazed by her attack.

She took everything in about his appearance. His brown hair was… different from any other sailor she had seen. They were usually greasy, yes, but none of them were like _that_. She didn't even know what kind of style that was, and she had no idea how he coped with it. She enjoyed the feeling of the waves catching her hair, and fanning it out around her. It was a pleasant feeling letting the ripples comb through her long blonde hair.

His skin was tanned, but that was only similarity to other sailors that she saw. His clothes were more… outrageous than others. And he wore a lot of jewellery; both on his hands and in his hair. There was just something about him that seemed… _different_ that the rest of the sailors that she had met.

But that didn't mean she was going to let her guard down. She knew better than anyone; looks could be deceiving.

'Because you believed a silly rumour. You wanted to change something. That makes you both greedy and gullible. No man should be so easily convinced, and no man should think only of himself.' She explained, her eyes marginally softening against her will.

She wasn't sure what it was, but there was something about this man that just knocked down any walls she had.

And she didn't like it one bit.

'How did you know about that?' He questioned, as he took a step forward.

Brynne saw the movement, and hugged her legs closer to her chest, giving out another loud hiss as a warning. Jack immediately stepped back, raising his hands up again, and muttering, 'Sorry.'

'Of course I knew! My sisters were the one to tell the human of this "woman" who would grant you anything you wanted. We used it to lure selfish sailors like yourself to us, so we could…' Brynne trailed off with a malicious smirk on her face, and watched as the men who stood behind Jack cowering in fear; all of them swallowing thickly as they pictured the end to her sentence in their head.

However, the man who continued to stand in front of her just widened his smirk and let out a chuckle, that caused everyone around him - his crew more so - to look at him with confusion.

Just what was it that he was laughing it? They hardly thought this was a time to be laughing! They had just caught a mermaid and had watched her tail turn into legs! What was normal about that? What was _funny _about that?

'Captain, are you all right?' Someone asked, and Jack just turned his head minutely, and waved his hand in response.

However, the title caught Brynne's attention. This was their captain? Well that explained much. It explained why he was standing in front of the crew; why he was so relaxed; why he seemed to be the only one that wasn't afraid. Because he was the captain; he was supposed to be the voice of command and authority. He could hardly be seen to be afraid from a mermaid.

'I thought something was… fishy about it.' He stated, and Brynne couldn't help herself, she gave another hiss at his comment.

'I am no fish!' She retorted, before she looked down at her legs with distaste. 'And I do not wish to be human, either.'

'What is wrong with being human?' Jack asked, taking a step forward and this time Brynne did not hiss. She didn't see the point in it. He seemed to forget a few seconds afterwards, and her throat was starting to hurt. It normally caused no pain when she was in her true form, but this… _body _was different. What was easy to her before, was no longer easy to her now. Hissing was one of those things, and moving seemed to be another. But her quick wit and brave nature wasn't changed; of that she was sure.

'Because bad memory seems to be a trait amongst them.' She muttered, but still loud enough that he could hear her.

'Oi!' Jack exclaimed, pointing a finger at her. 'I heard that.'

'Well, at least your hearing isn't as bad.'

'Right missy,' he started, and when she raised her eyes to his, he stopped in his tracks. He had never really got a good look at them before; how could he have? First she was trapped in a net, and then she was throwing herself about the deck until she turned into her human form.

They were bright blue - almost teal. He had never really seen anything that colour before… except the Caribbean water at the edge of the shore.

'What are you going to do?' She enquired, wondering why he stopped, and why he was looking at her like that.

He didn't answer her though, not in words anyway. He simply took off his coat and moved closer to her. She hissed at him once more, but he completely ignored her this time; knowing that she couldn't do that much damage.

He went to put the jacket around her, when she reached out and scratched the hand that was closest to her. Brynne's fingers dug deep into his skin, drawing blood.

Jack released a yelp of pain, gritting his teeth together and taking in a deep breath to calm himself. 'I'm only trying to help you! Do you want your privates on display to the whole bloody world? Even the whores at Tortuga don't dress that revealing… mainly because they bloody dress!'

Brynne watched him with wide eyes, biting her lip hard as she watched him rant at her.

Was that really what he was going to do? Just give her his coat so it would cover her up? She was used to having her top half bare, but she had only ever had her legs shown once before… when she had to go on land to get some information; that didn't help the strife between her sisters one bit.

She reached out with her hand and grabbed ahold of the sleeve of the jacket. When he saw what she was doing, he released it and allowed her to take it.

'How do I?' She questioned, and he just grinned at her before he showed her how to put the coat on. When it was on her, and safely covering everything that needed to be covered, he pulled away from her.

'Gibbs!' He barked, turning around to face his crew, who were all watching him with peculiar expressions on their faces. He thought about telling them to scatter, but knew it would not work. Whilst they fulfilled their orders to the fullest, he hardly thought they would when a mermaid just landed on their deck.

'Aye sir?'

'Go and fill the bathtub with water. I think our little… siren… would like to be back in water, wouldn't you agree, love?' He asked, turning back to her with a grin playing on his lips. He winked at her and Brynne furrowed her eyebrows at him.

'Can't you put me back in the sea?' She asked hesitantly, knowing it would not work. She was so foolish to think that he was different, he was just going to keep her captive and use her for… God only knows what!

'I will love, but first I want to have a little chat with you about something. Something you may be able to help me with.'

Brynne just continued to stare at him, but knew, _just knew _deep down that this wasn't going to go smoothly.

~oOoOoOoOoOo~

'The tub is full, Cap'n.' Gibbs informed, emerging from Jack's cabin. The crew had scattered as soon as Jack ordered them to go and fill the tub with water for Brynne. He didn't want them standing about any longer, especially when he knew he'd have to move her eventually.

Jack nodded his head and walked back over to Brynne.

'The tub is ready, love.' He explained, and she looked up at him, startled. She hadn't heard him approach! Why didn't she hear him approach? Her hearing was normally superb. It was probably due to the fact she was sitting there, away in her head thinking everything over.

The main thought that plagued her mind was of her sisters. Had they noticed she was missing? And were they looking for her? She hoped so.

'How do I…?' She trailed off as she looked down at her legs with distaste. She didn't want to use these things. She hated them the first time she had used them… mainly because she couldn't use them then! They were so damn weak that they did nothing! The first time she had wanted to use them, she thought they would've been as strong as her tail. She thought that because her tail split into them, they would have the same muscle that her tail previously had.

She was completely wrong with that thought.

'I'll help you.' He offered, before he reached down and wrapped her arm around his shoulder.

'Is there anyway I can do this without your help?' She spat, unable to stop herself. She was supposed to be the one to defend; she couldn't take help from anyone.

'Unless you want to fall on your face, no.'

She gritted her teeth together, and decided to get on with it, following his guide as he led her to the cabin.

Once they were inside, she saw the large tub in the centre of the room, and she saw the inviting sight of the water that was inside it. Her eyes lit up and a smile tugged at her lips and she was trying to urge him to move quicker.

'You need to take the jacket off, I don't want it getting wet.' He said, and Brynne immediately shrugged out of the coat; she would do anything if it got her into the water quicker.

Without any warning, he scooped her up and she gave a loud yelp which quickly turned into a hiss of annoyance.

'Do not do that!' She warned, but quickly fell quiet again when he placed her into the water. The cold water hit her skin and she sighed happily, sinking further down into the tub. She watched as her legs slowly started to melt together again, and cover in blue scales once more.

She ran a hand down her tail with a wide smile on her face, showing off all of her teeth.

'Right, I'll leave you to get reacquainted with your lost limb.' Jack spoke and Brynne turned her head around to face him.

'I thought you wished to speak?'

'After. I have a ship to command. I'll be back later to talk… but before I go, do you have a name, pretty?'

'...Brynne.' She answered eventually, deciding it wouldn't be that harmful to tell him her name.

'Brynne? It's nice.' He replied, before he turned on his heel and left the cabin door, with a call of, 'We'll talk later, Brynne.'

She bobbed her head under the water, closing her eyes as brushed her hair over her shoulder. When she resurfaced she let out a hiss of frustration and slammed the side of the tub with both hands.

'Just what have you gotten yourself into?'

* * *

**_Let me know what you think! What do you think Jack wants to talk to her about?_**

**_Review and let me know!_**

**_~Charlotte.x_**


	6. Chapter VI

_**Okay, so we'll find out what Jack wants to talk to Brynne about. **  
_

_**Once again, thank you so much to everyone who's reads this! :D**_

* * *

_~I'm a man with a one track mind,  
So much to do in one life time.  
Not a man for compromise,  
And where's and why's and living lies.  
So I'm living it all,  
Yes I'm living it all,  
And I'm giving it all,  
Yes I'm giving it all.~_

_Queen - I Want It All._

* * *

**Chapter VI.**

She had given up.

She had no idea when he would come back to talk to her; or if he would at all! She understood he had things to do, but surely it didn't take that long! She was _positive _that he was keeping her in here, letting her brew, before he started to hurt her; to torture her. She was so sure that was the case, that she had formed plans on how to deal with it. As long as she stayed in the tub, she would be as strong as normally would. Meaning, she could still do damage.

'Penny for your thoughts.' A voice said behind her, and she let out a loud hiss as she turned her head to face the owner of the voice.

'So, you're finally ready to talk?' She asked, as he walked around to sit on his chair by his desk, not taking her eyes off him for a second; she didn't dare to.

'You could say that.' He replied eventually, and she pursed her lips as she watched him take a bottle from his desk and bring it to his lips.

When he noticed that she was watching him, he extended the bottle towards her and asked, 'Want some?'

'No thank you. I can smell it from here… it's smells vile.' She huffed, as she brought her arms out of the water and rested them on the edge of the tub. She grinned to herself when she noticed that Jack's face had fallen at her insult to the contents of his bottle. She had no idea what it was, but she did know that it _did _smell disgusting. And she had many experiences… if it smelt revolting, it would taste revolting.

'So, what is it you wish to talk about?' She asked, as she rested her head on her hands, and looked up at him under her eyelashes.

'Was there any truth in the rumour you and your sisters spread?' He asked, not wanting to waste any more time. He decided jumping straight into it would be the best idea.

'What do you mean?' Brynne asked, raising her head off her hands, and looking at him with narrowed eyes.

'Is there a woman or _someone _who can grant wishes?'

Brynne stared at him for a second, before she dissolved into laughter. Her musical laughter - though appealing - did nothing to stop Jack from gritting his teeth together for a second, before snapping, 'Stop it!'

Brynne fell silent immediately, looking at him with narrowed eyes.

'I do not take orders from my sisters. I am most certainly not taking orders from you!' She snapped, as the laughter left her eyes and her mouth dropped into a tight, thin line.

Jack held up his hands in surrender, before he shook his head once, 'Okay, love, okay. But just answer my questions with words, all right?'

Brynne nodded her head once, the tight line of her lips slowly loosening as her body started to relax again. She normally wasn't so… erratic with her mood, but she couldn't help it! She did not take orders from her sisters, what made him think she was going to take orders from him? A tiny insignificant human?

She took a deep breath in through her nose, before she replied, 'So, you want to know if there is a way your wish can come true?' She enquired, raising a blonde eyebrow at him.

'Aye.'

'Well, to answer that… I'd need to know what your wish is.' She declared, as she rested her arms across the edge of the tub again, and lowered her head on top of them. She looked up at him from under her eyelashes, her teal eyes meeting his chocolate brown ones.

Suddenly, she was struck by that same feeling she had earlier when she was first caught. That there was something different about this man… and it wasn't just his appearance. There was something deeper that was different from every other sailor that she had met. And she was positive that was the reason she was sitting in the tub, being so civil with him. She thought that if it were any other, she would've climbed up the railing and thrown herself back into the sea; giving up not being an option.

She was positive that was the reason she was still here.

'Immortality. That is what I want.' Jack stated eventually, sharply pulling Brynne out of her thoughts.

'You wish to live forever?'

Jack said nothing in reply, but merely nodded his head, before raising his rum bottle to his lips again, and taking another satisfying gulp. He didn't really plan this… in fact, as soon as he saw that they had pulled a mermaid onto the ship, he had every intentions of putting her back into the sea. But the thought came to him before he could; that he could ask her for any information on ways to live forever. If anyone was going to know that, it would be a mermaid; a creature who loved exploring new things and travelling to new places.

Brynne hummed in response, before biting her lip and flicking her tail a little.

Jack didn't miss it, and knew what it meant. She knew something about it.

'You know of somewhere, don't you?' He asked, as he slowly sat his bottle back onto his desk, and turned his body so he was fully facing her.

Brynne took a deep breath before answering him, after nodding her head.

'It is only a legend amongst us mermaids, I do not know how true it is.' She started, as she ran a hand down her tail. '"The Phoenix's Bow" is when the last phoenix came to the leader of the mermaids, and asked her to hide his tear in a cave under the water. A phoenix's tear has the ability to grant its drinker immortality, and this caused them to be hunted to their extinction. The last phoenix didn't want its tear being used, and so he wanted it hidden from the humans. The legend says that the queen took it to a secret tavern, and sealed it with a spell; only her heirs can find and open the tavern.'

Jack remained silent as she explained this, only moving to place his feet on his desk. When she finished, he coughed to clear his throat. 'Who are her heirs? How do they find it?'

She smiled. 'Apparently the location is hidden within them, they just need to search hard enough for it… and the heirs are The Leader, The Singer and The Hunter.'

'Who are they?' He asked, removing his feet from his table and standing up. 'The Leader, The Singer and The Hunter? Who are they?'

Brynne swallowed thickly, not completely sure about revealing that information. But once again, as soon as she looked up and met his eyes, it just came spilling from her… and she hated that.

'The Leader is Talulah. The Singer is Marion, and The Hunter is… me.'

Jack immediately froze, but eventually thawed out, moving over to stand by the tub she was in.

He smirked down at her. 'You're an heir to the queen that sealed the tavern? You can find "The Phoenix's Bow" for me?'

'It is only a legend, Captain Sparrow, my sisters and I have searched for it before, and we have never found it. I fear you would be disappointed.' She advised, before she slid down into the tub, emerging her head under the water, she let out a loud sigh as soon as she was under the water and tried her hardest not to hit the edges of the tub; she would surely break it if she did.

As her head emerged from the water, she brushed her long blonde hair over her shoulders, using it to cover her chest. She normally never bothered about her upper half being completely bare, but everything about her seemed to change the second she landed on this ship.

'Why would you search for the cave?' Jack asked, watching her with a grin. Her movement had momentarily brought his gaze to her breasts, but he averted his eyes the minute she covered them with her wet hair, that clung to her body.

'Mermaids do not live forever, Captain Sparrow, and someone that we knew was gravely ill. We could not find it then… she died a few days later.' She admitted, lowering her eyes to look at the water in the tub, watching as it started to ripple when she flipped her tail slightly; due to her sadness.

'I'm sorry about that, love.' Jack muttered, falling silent for a second before he crouched down so he was level with her. 'But I have something to ask of you,' he stated, reaching out and grasping ahold of her chin to tug her face back around so he could see it.

She didn't even bother hissing at him this time, finally learning that it didn't really frighten him like it did with other sailors. But she did bring her hand up and pushed his hand away.

Jack said nothing about it, but just grinned at her.

'What do you want to ask me?' She asked, as she crossed her arms over her chest and reclined against the back of the tub. She cocked her eyebrow at him when he didn't answer he straight away.

'I want you to help me find this place… The Phoenix's Bow.'

'You want me to help you find The Phoenix's Bow?' She repeated, looking at him in confusion. 'You want me to help you live forever?'

'Aye.' He answered instantly, and she ground her teeth together and exhaled deeply through her nose.

'Do you not remember what I said about humans being greedy and gullible?' She enquired as soon as she unclenched her jaw.

'I am not gullible. I'll admit to being greedy, but what's wrong with cherishing oneself every now and then?'

'There is nothing wrong with indulging every now and then, but I have a feeling you do it frequently.' She retorted, a smirk playing at her lips. When she couldn't fight it anymore, she felt her lips tugging into one.

'You got me there, love, but I don't necessarily care. It's never gotten me into trouble before.' He lied, as he waved a hand to dismiss the idea. 'But what do you say? Will you help?'

'If I agree to help you, what do I get out of it?' She asked, as she brought her hand up and started examining her nails.

Jack grinned at her movement; mermaids certainly had a way with looking uninterested… it was a mermaid he had picked up that trick from. It was one of their favourite.

'Whatever you want. Whether it be gold or jewels, I don't care.'

'I want my life and my freedom.' She declared, not even stopping to think about it. As soon as he was finished talking, she had to reply. It was the only thing that she wanted, and she would do anything to get it… even if it meant helping a human get immortality.

Jack stared at her, opening his mouth to tell her that her request was already a done deal, but he closed it after realising that he didn't have to. If that was all she wanted, he would let her think that she needed to help him to get it. He was going to let her go anyway, if this worked or not, but if he told her that, she would think of something else that she wanted… and her new "payment" may've been harder to get.

With this wicked decision finally made, he nodded his head and agreed, 'Done.'

He extended his hand out towards her, ready for her to shake in agreement, but she just stared at it.

What did he want? What was the meaning behind this… extension of his arm?

'What do I…?' She trailed off, as she raised her eyebrow at him.

'You put your hand in it, it's called a handshake. It just seals the deal.' He informed, and her eyebrows creased at his explanation, before she slowly brought her hand out of the water and placed it into his. He shook her hand once, before he let go of it, and grinned widely at her.

'Thanks, love. I'll go and tell the crew; they've been nagging me for information.' He uttered, before he winked at her and let her alone after giving her a small bow.

Brynne brought her hand back, and held it in front of her face, staring at it with wide eyes.

Did he feel that tingle as well?

Or was it just her?

* * *

_**What do you think that tingle was? Review and let me know! Now, I have totally made this legend up. I was watching Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets with Fawkes healing Harry's wounds with his tears, so I got it from that, but the whole hunted to extinction; hiding the tear in a cave thing was entirely made up by me. ;p**_

_**~Charlotte.x**_


	7. Chapter VII

**_Hey! I'm back from the hiatus that I took! I hope you haven't forgotten all about me, that would make me sad! I hope you like this chapter, and I hope that it was worth the wait! _**

**_I won't delay it any longer... so, here's chapter 7!_**

* * *

_~Spare my sins for the ark,  
I was too slow to depart,  
I'm a cad,  
But I'm not a fraud,  
I'd set out to serve the lord.~_

_Mumford and Sons - Whispers in the Dark._

* * *

**Chapter VII.**

She had fallen asleep not long after he had left her for the second time. As soon as she knew what was happening, and knew that he had no intentions of harming her, she started to relax, and as she started to relax, she realised just how tired she was. Everything she had been through had finally taken its toll on her.

She had slouched down in the tub, and was resting her head on her arms, which were sitting on the edge of the tub.

Suddenly, a loud bang resonated around the cabin, and her eyes flew open as she jerked awake. Her body went stiff as her eyes perused the room and a loud, venomous hiss broke free from her mouth. Her eyes landed on a small boy, who was standing staring at her with wide, frightful eyes, a bottle lying at his feet; the drop wasn't big enough to shatter the glass.

She immediately relaxed, and her face went soft, she reached out a hand and beckoned him closer. Dumbfounded, he took a step towards her when the door burst open.

'What's the matter?' Jack barked, but Brynne ignored him.

'What's your name?' She asked, raising an eyebrow at him, as she gave him a kind smile and beckoned him closer again.

He walked up till he was standing beside the tub, and Jack watched them with a confused expression on his face; but he remained silent.

'Derek.' He answered, and she repeated it with a growing smile on her face. 'What's yours?'

'Brynne.' She informed, as she reached up and ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it with affection. 'I am sorry if I frightened you, I did not mean it.'

'No, it's nothing… I'm sorry I startled you.' Derek replied, and his eyes flickered over to Jack who was still watching them with confusion. His eyes then fell on to the bottle he had dropped; the one that had awoken Brynne. 'I should really finish.'

He then turned away from her, after giving her a wide smile. He picked up the rum bottle and went to resume cleaning the cabin when Jack's voice stopped him.

'Derek, why don't you go and help Cook in the galley for a bit, eh?'

He turned and nodded to his captain, before he left the cabin with the rum bottle in his hand. But before he disappeared through the door, he turned back to Brynne and smiled at her. She smiled in return and raised her hand to wave at him, and with a widening smile he disappeared down to the galley.

When the door closed, Jack walked over to stand next to her, looking down at her with his eyes sparkling in amusement.

'I must admit, I'm surprised you apologised to him.'

'Why wouldn't I?' She asked fiercely, crossing her arms over her chest in indignation.

'Just mermaid's are known to be unforgiving and unapologising.' He retorted with a grin on his lips.

Despite her anger, a smile was tugging at her lips, and she found it hard to fight it.

'That may be, Captain, but I am not so cruel to people with kind souls. He has an innocence about him; he has an honesty about him that I very rarely see in humans. Because of that, he deserves an apology.' She explained, her smile widening as she thought of the young boy. She hadn't met many boys as young as him; in fact she didn't know if she _had _met any young boys. She was always used to men. But there was something in his bright blue eyes, and his long, black hair that made her regret ever frightening him.

She then looked up at Jack, and saw him nodding his head.

'Well, coming from a mermaid; one called The Hunter no less, you can understand my disbelief.' He smirked, before he gave her a wink and left the cabin, not even waiting to hear her response.

~oOoOoOoOoOo~

Her tail was twitching impatiently.

'Just do it!' She hissed at herself, for what was probably the hundredth time. She _needed_ to do it. If she didn't, she was going to go insane.

Taking in a deep breath, she placed both hands on the edge of the tub and started to pull her up and out of the tub. As soon as she could, she threw herself out of the tub - and her safe water - and landed on the floor of the cabin with a loud thud.

Once again, the strange feeling of her transformation started to take over her. Her tail started to numb and her body started to tingle as her body changed into one suited for life on land. There was no adrenaline running through her body from being caught, so every feeling felt a hundred times worse. Although initially numb, sharp pains started to shoot through her lower half; she compared it to when the fish hook pierced her fin, but it was worse than that. It was as if fifty hooks had torn through her skin; setting her on fire.

It had _never _been this painful before, but both times it had happened, she was so scared that it apparently numbed every single feeling.

Despite trying not to, a scream burst through her lips as soon as her tail split into two creamy legs, and she was panting hard. The feelings were starting to fade.

Taking in another deep breath, she lifted herself up, taking all her weight onto her hands. As soon as she did, however, the door burst open.

'What's the matter?' Jack barked, and his eyes fell on Brynne on the floor. 'Are you all right?'

She nodded her head, 'Yes, I hated being in that tub, though. I can't stand being stuck, unable to move. It may sound weird to you, but I'm a free spirit, I was born to move. I wasn't born to be trapped in a tub.' She stopped for a breath, as she pulled her legs up to her chest. 'So, being in this... _weak_ form seemed like a better option; I'd rather be free and weak, than powerful and a prisoner.'

A grin appeared on his lips, and he didn't protest with her. In fact, he was finding himself agreeing with her; maybe that was the reason why he was shrugging out of his coat, and handing it to her again.

'You do remember how to put it on, don't you?'

'Of course.' She retorted, as she pulled the jacket on, and started to button it up. She then looked at him from under her eyelashes, 'Will you help me stand?'

Without a reply, he walked over to stand directly in front of her and extended his hand in front of her. Hesitantly, she placed her hand in his, amazed at the difference in colour between them; she was so pale, and he was the colour of copper.

He pulled her to her feet, and she collapsed into his arms as soon as her weight shifted onto her feet. He walked her over to his chair and sat her down.

'The strength from your tale is still in your legs, you just need to get used to them. So, try lifting them and bending them, and you'll be walking in no time.'

He winked at her and went to leave.

'How do you know that?' She asked, stopping him dead in his tracks.

'You're not the first mermaid I've met, love. Honestly, do that and I say you'll be walking by tonight.' He gave her another wink and he disappeared out the cabin, ready to go back to the helm now that he knew nothing was seriously wrong with her.

She watched him disappear, and then continued to look at the door until she slowly shook her head and turned away, looking back to her legs.

'You're going insane, Brynne.' She sighed, before she started to do the movements that he had recommended.

~oOoOoOoOoOo~

He was right. He was bloody right. She didn't know why she was so mad about that, but she was. The power from her tail was in her legs all along, it just needed to be exercised to bring it out.

How did he know that?

It was her limbs and she didn't know that! How did some random sailor know more about her body and transformation than she did?

She didn't know the answer to that, and she didn't like that one bit; that's why she was walking out to the deck - she wanted answers.

'Captain Sparrow?' She shouted as soon as she could see him. The whole crew turned to look at her, seemingly surprised that she was out of the tub; and was walking.

He grinned at her before he hooked the rope around the wheel to keep the ships steady, before he came down from the helm to stand in front of her.

'What is it, love?'

'How did you know that? What did you mean when you said I'm not the first mermaid you met? I want answers, Captain; I want answers now.' She hissed, feeling empowered again. The fact that she had her old strength back meant so much to her. She was no longer helpless or weak; she was the same powerful mermaid that was the family's number one killer… just without the tail.

'I'll answer your questions,' he started, steering her into the cabin and closing the door behind them. 'If you answer mine.'

'What questions could you _possibly _have?'

'Where are we going? Where will we start?'

'I asked you two, you asked me two. You go first!' She negotiated, and watched as he smirked slightly in response.

'Fine. I know it for the reason behind the second question. I knew a mermaid. You go.'

She pursed her lips, before she swallowed and replied, 'We'll go and find Marion; my sister; The Singer. Your turn again.'

He clicked his tongue. 'The mermaid I knew was Marina. She was very interested in exploring her new body; or having someone explore it for her.' He trailed off with a wink and she found herself narrowing her eyes at him. 'I also knew a couple of Sirens, but I doubt you want to talk about them.'

At the mention of Sirens, she gave a hiss; a bloodthirsty hiss. 'You assumption is correct. Now, we will start with talking to Marion. Like I said, the location is hidden within each of us; I've been thinking it through, and I believe that I will need both of my sister's input in order to get to the cave.'

He nodded his head at her, 'Where can we find your sister?' he asked, and she found herself telling them where to go, heading in the direction of Marion's favourite hideout.

However, when he turned to leave; to point the ship in that direction, she called out again, 'Captain. As I said, I have been thinking things through; I have the power of my old self; I have the power in my arms, my legs and my mind. I can leave if I want to, you're going to have to do one better now that I don't _need_ to help you.' She muttered, walking over to stand in front of him. She looked up at him with a smirk on her face as she looked into his brown eyes.

He gritted his teeth together at his own mistake; he needed her weak and vulnerable to a sense. He just _knew_ that having her freedom be her payment was too good to be true.

'What've you got in mind?'

She smirked, because truthfully, she had nothing in mind at what she wanted for payment; in fact, she didn't really want anything else, but it was nice to see him squirm.

~oOoOoOoOoOo~

They had weighed anchor just next to the rocks where Marion liked spending most of her time.

Brynne moved over to the railing, she was nowhere to be seen; but she had expected that. She knew she would've gone under water as soon as she saw the ship, but she also knew that she would've stayed under water until the ship went away.

'Marion!' She shouted, holding the railing tight in her hands. She released it when she heard a faint crunch and she looked down to see a small crack where she was previously holding it. 'Marion, I know you are down there!'

She waited a few seconds, holding her breath before she saw brown hair rippling through the water. It slowly started to emerge and Brynne smiled when she finally saw Marion there.

'Hello Marion.' She smiled, waving at her to come up next to her. Marion swam forward and slowly climbed up the side of the ship until she was face to face with her sister.

'What's happening? Why are you here on this ship? Why are you like _that_?' She asked as soon as she could and Brynne just sighed.

'Marion, you're just going to have to trust me with this. She turned her head and found the pirates standing away from them, looking at them curiously. She saw Jack standing at the helm and she sighed again. 'Do you see the one at the wheel? There is something about him; I don't know what, but there is something, so I want to help him.'

'Help him? Help him do what?'

She took a deep breath in, 'Help him find The Phoenix's Bow.'

Brynne bit her lip the minute she saw Marion's face widen in shock, before it turned to one of annoyance.

'We couldn't find it when _she_ needed it! How're we supposed to find it now? For a stranger? A greedy stranger? What're you playing at Brynne?'

'I told you! There is something about him! I need your help, and we always help each other! We always have, and I was under the impression we always would!'

She had to fight a grin when she saw Marion's resolve weakening.

After heaving a loud sigh, Marion stated, 'Fine! I will help you… but what will I tell Talulah?'

Brynne knew she'd have to talk to Talulah eventually, but she'd rather have be later rather than sooner.

'Nothing. Tell her _nothing_.'

* * *

_**So, what did you think of that? Let me know in a review!**_

_**Oh, and if any of you are fans of the Johnny Depp film Dark Shadows, I have started one called "This Is Gonna Hurt". It's a Barnabas/OC fic, and I'd really love it if you could check it out! It'd mean a lot to me!**_

**_And I got rid of the chapter titles, I seemed to spend more time coming up with titles that actually writing the chapter, so I gave up with them. ;p_**

_** Okay, thank you so much for reading this, and don't forget to review, and check out This Is Gonna Hurt! :D**_

_**~Charlotte.x**_


	8. Chapter VIII

**_I'm here with Chapter 8 of this story, and it's a long one! So, I hope you like it!_**

**_Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I love you all! And I hope you love this chapter as well!_**

* * *

_~Tomorrow,  
You're gonna have to live with the things you say,  
Tomorrow,  
You'll have to cross bridges that you burned today,  
Tomorrow,  
And everything you do,  
Is coming back to you,  
You'll never out run what waits for you,  
Tomorrow.~_

_Sixx: A.M. - Tomorrow._

* * *

**Chapter VIII.**

Marion had quickly disappeared. She didn't want to stick around for any longer than necessary, though she did tell Brynne that should would be back soon, she just needed a small amount of time to get her head around what was happening, and Brynne couldn't blame her. It was a big thing for her to ask.

Despite that, she hadn't moved from the railing once. She was still at the exact same place she was at when Marion came up to her. Her eyes were looking out at the water, gazing longingly. She really wanted to be back in the water, but she knew she couldn't. She had promised to help, and she never went back on her word.

Another thing that amazed was that Jack hadn't come up to talk to her once. He had just stayed back, giving her the space that she needed. And she was thankful for that, the last thing she needed was to be confused by him.

However, small splashes drew her attention, and she looked back down to see Marion floating in the water down below her. A wide smile pulled at her lips once more, and she beckoned with her hand, asking her to climb the ship once more so she could talk to her.

Marion looked like she wanted to protest, but she knew she couldn't. She couldn't say no to her sister. Sighing to herself, she reached up with her hand and grabbed ahold of the side of the ship and started to clim, careful so she didn't capsize it. The minute she was in front of her, Brynne reached out and wrapped her arms around her, enveloping her in a strong embrace.

'I miss you.' She whispered before she let go and looked into her deep, brown eyes.

'Then come home.' Marion replied sincerely, but Brynne simply shook her head.

'I promised him, Marion, I cannot back down. Not now.'

'Why are you doing it, Brynne? What is it about this… man that has drawn you to him?'

Brynne turned away from her, tearing her blue eyes away from her sister's brown ones. She sighed deeply and shook her head once more.

She turned back to her, 'I cannot explain it. I have tried to do so since I was captured, but I just can't! There is something deep within his soul that is kind and warm, and I feel like I _should_ be doing this. I can always feel this tingle whenever he touches me, it's almost as if this was supposed to happen. I do not know why, but…' she trailed off with another soft sigh. 'And the worst part is, he can't see it himself. He can't see the goodness that's within him.'

She locked eyes with her sister once more and when she saw the look in her eyes she scoffed. 'You can't believe it, can you? That The Hunter has turned into some… lovestruck fool.' She spat as she closed her eyes to stop the growl that was burning in her throat.

'Love? You love him?'

'Of course I don't! How can you love when you've just met? How can a mermaid and a human love at all? Do not be so foolish! I was merely saying that it is how I am acting; but it is most certainly not how I am feeling. The only person on here I feel for is his cabin boy.' She admitted as she turned to scan the deck for any sign of Derek. When she didn't see him, she turned back to Marion, her face showing her disappointment. 'He's a lovely little boy. So innocent and brave and smart. I have never known any human to be like that; it's making me feel hopeful.'

'I never knew you had a maternal side in you, Brynne. You always thought it was a sign of weakness.' Marion whispered, too shocked to do anything else.

'Because it is! It is a sign of weakness! I hate feeling like this, I feel so weak and so vulnerable and I feel like I'm not _me_ anymore. I haven't even thought of attacking these people. And that's normally the first thing that goes through my mind when I see a ship or sailors; it's how to pull them down below! What the hell is wrong with me, Brynne?'

Marion rolled her eyes.

'Nothing is _wrong_ with you, Brynne! Now you understand how I feel all the time; how I believe. It's not wrong feeling sympathy and remorse and even love! We respect every other creature of the land and sea, but not these people, and why not? Because of what a few horrible people did before? Why should they be punished for their ancestors mistakes? It's the same as punishing us for the Sirens mistake!'

Brynne hissed at the mention of the Sirens; she had only had one encounter with them before, but it did not end well. Well, it didn't for the Siren. She didn't get fixed with her title The Hunter for nothing.

Yet, despite the mention of those horrible creatures, she could understand where Marion was coming from. Too many people mistook them for the vicious Sirens, who didn't just attack sailors because of personal experiences, they attacked women, children and animals of the land just to spite them; just to make a point that they were better and more powerful.

It was only when the Mermaids intervened did they stop doing it. Well, stopped doing it as much anyway.

After a long pause as she thought this over, she finally replied after breathing out heavily. 'You may be right, Marion.' She slowly admitted, before she swallowed hard and changed the subject. She didn't like admitting that she was wrong; not even to her sister. 'So, you will help me?

'I already said yes, sister.'

'I know. I just wanted to make sure you did not change your mind.' She grinned at her sister, bearing all her teeth at her before she continued, 'Do you have any idea where to start?'

'Not a clue.' Marion replied immediately, shaking her head as she flicked her tail slightly, her fin still emerged in the water; enough to keep her in her true form. 'Probably just the same as before? Looking within us for this location?'

Brynne released a shaky breath as she started to nod her head. 'Yes, I think you are right. Come to me if you get any information, okay? I don't care how simple or easy it is, come to me and tell me. We have no pressure upon our shoulders this time.'

Marion nodded her head slowly in agreement, before she reached up with her hand and cupped Brynne's cheek. She pulled herself even further up the side of the ship, and placed a soft kiss on her sister's cheek. She pulled back and looked into her blue eyes and smiled. After a second of silence, she placed her hand back onto the railing and pushed herself backwards. She fell backwards, arching her back so she landed head first; her movement graceful and smooth. Brynne watched her with a smirk on her face, but underneath that, she was envious, because Marion was returning to the sea, and she could not.

~oOoOoOoOoOo~

She was sitting on the deck, her eyes closed as she listened to the peaceful sounds of the waves gently slapping against the hull of the ship. Her mind was far away, however, as she tried as hard as she could to find the destination that was supposed to be buried somewhere within her.

She had no idea where, but that's why she was trying. Even though she had tried to do it before, and had been unsuccessful then. She had no idea why she thought this time would be different, but she was willing to try.

The only thing she was seeing right now were colours; all of them blurred together, but at the same time, so distinctive. And she knew, she just _knew _that was she needed was behind the colours. If she could just fight her way through them, she would surely see the cave; the cave of The Phoenix's Bow. She clenched her eyes shut tighter, and tried to clear her mind of the colours; the pinks and blues and greens, and find this damn location! Her hands clenched into fists to help her concentrate, because the colours were starting to fade. Slowly, and almost painfully, but yes, they were slowly fading.

Behind these colours she could see it. The underwater cave, made of rock that was slowly decaying with age. Yet, she still couldn't see any distinctive features that would give away its destination. She knew these seas, all of them, and she could recall everything about them. So, that's all she needed. She just needed one little telltale sign of where the cave was.

Suddenly, something to the right of her sight caught her eye, just hiding underneath a layer of green was something that she was sure she had seen before. But it wasn't clear enough yet, she couldn't see exactly what it was yet, and she needed to be one hundred percent sure before she opened her eyes; she didn't want to jump to any conclusions.

Just as the green was about to disappear and reveal the sign, a voice startled her, 'What the bloody hell are you doing, love?'

Her eyes snapped open, all her hard work disappearing with a flash. Her bright blue eyes settled on Jack, who was standing in front of her with a smirk on his face. Seeing the smirk, her teeth clenched together and she thought the strongest urge to reach out and smack it off of him. The last thing she needed was to see him amused; especially when he just distracted her at the vital moment.

'I was trying to find The Phoenix's Bow for you!' She hissed as she stood up, standing in front of him, and even though he towered over her, she was not afraid of him.

The smirk fell off his face for a second, before it reappeared.

'Any luck?'

'I was just about to discover a sign of where it was when you interrupted me!' She exploded, throwing her arms in the air. 'Do you know how hard and painful it is to do that? To channel that deep into your mind? It's takes a strong will and a lot of time, and I was just about to uncover it, and you come along and stop me from doing it!'

She brought her hand up to rub her forehead, before she pinched the bridge of her nose. After exhaling sharply, she looked up to him once more.

'I am going to the cabin. I need to sleep.' She murmured as she dropped her hand from her face and made to pass him.

'You're tired?' His voice stopped her and she turned back to him.

'Didn't you hear me? Doing that takes a lot out of me. I need to rest, because I need to try again tomorrow, don't I?' She smiled at him. 'Goodnight, Captan Sparrow.'

With that said, she turned away from him and walked to the cabin. As she entered it, she looked around and realised that she had no idea where she was supposed to sleep. She was _not_ going back into the tub, that was for sure. She hated feeling so confined. However, the only other place was the bed that Jack slept in, and she didn't know if she was allowed in there. But to be honest, she didn't really care. He had captured her, he had kept her and he had stopped her at the moment she was about to find out the location; if he had the audacity to protest, she was finally going to snap and attack him.

Finally decided, she walked over to the bed and slipped in one side, still wearing Jack's jacket. She pulled the covers around her, curled up and fell asleep.

When Jack entered the captain a few hours later, he found her in the exact same position.

~oOoOoOoOoOo~

Brynne exited the cabin, looking cautiously around herself before she stepped completely out of the cabin and on to the deck. After scanning it once more, and glad that she couldn't see him anywhere, she moved over to the railing, ready to watch the sea again. She missed it, oh boy, did she miss it. She longed to feel the water flow through her blonde hair, and to feel the moisture against her skin, and to feel the power as her tail propelled her through the water. She craved the freedom that the sea brought to her. She wasn't confined, she could go anywhere and no one could stop her; she didn't need to seek approval from anyone. She could go as far away as possible; as far away as needed. She could spend days alone, at the other side of the world, and then go home and no one would bat an eyelash, because she was a free spirit; she wasn't supposed to be stuck upon a ship, unsure of when she was going to return to the safety of the sea.

She sighed as she leaned her elbows on the railing and closed her eyes. As she did, she listened as hard as she could; listening to the waves slapping against the hull; listening to the birds in the sky; listening to the wind gently howling as it pushed the ship onwards. As she listened, she could pretend for a split second that she was back in the sea. She inhaled deeply, the salty smell bringing a smile to her face as it cleared her lungs and reminded her of what it was like underwater.

She opened her eyes and gazed down towards the water and just _looked _at it. It didn't matter how she felt now, because just looking at the beautiful sight was enough for her at that moment. It was as close to the sea as she was going to get right now, and she was going to cherish it.

She smiled to herself and shifted her weight so she was standing more comfortably, and continued to stare into the abyss of the open ocean. As mesmerised by the sight as she was, when she saw the hint of brown underneath the surface, her smile widened. She watched as the patch of brown got bigger and bigger, until Marion suddenly appeared. Without waiting for invitation, she started to haul herself up the side of the ship, making sure to keep her red-tinged tail in the water.

'Brynne!' She gasped as soon as she was face to face with her.

'Marion? What is it? You look like you've just seen the devil himself!' She replied, disturbed by her sister's wide eyes, that were filled with fear. Her mouth was thin with worry, and as Brynne looked at Marion's hands, she realised they were shaking. 'Marion! Seriously, what is wrong?' She repeated, more worried than she was before.

'The Navy. They're coming in your direction; they've switched to full canvas… they're coming after you.' She whispered and Brynne's mouth fell open. She quickly shut it and gulped.

'Go! GO!' She shouted, and she pushed her sister off the edge of the ship just to make sure she followed her orders. She didn't wait to see how fast she swam away, or if she did it in the first place. She whipped her head around to face the deck again, and searched it for Jack. When she couldn't see him, she decided she only had one option.

'JACK!' She shouted, the panic evident in her voice, and caused every crew member to look at her with curiosity, wondering what had her so tense and jumpy. She turned her head to the back of the ship, and saw the white sails that were steadily gaining on them. If they didn't move now, they didn't stand a chance.

When she heard Jack's voice, she turned around again and ran over to him.

'Marion! She says the Navy is coming.' She informed, before she raised her hand and pointed towards the ship; that was closer than it was not a few minutes ago.

Jack's eyes widened minutely, before he ground his teeth and pulled out his telescope and fixed it on the ship, just wanting to make sure that it was in fact a Royal Ship.

'Damn.' He hissed, before he shut his scope away and ran towards the helm. 'Gibbs! Full sails, the Navy is on our tail.'

Brynne followed him and when Gibbs came to stand beside them, she walked back over to the railing, wanting to keep a track on the ship.

'We won't be able to outrun them. The _Pearl _may be the fastest ship in the Caribbean, Jack, but the wind is against us. We have no chance.' Gibbs stated, and was only answered by another curse from Jack.

'Brynne, go to the cabin, don't come out until I come to get you.' He ordered, and she turned around to protest, but he cut her off. 'Just _do it!_' He barked, and with the look that was on his face, she knew better than to protest. She turned and ran down to the cabin, but just as she was about to enter it, she turned back to face him.

'What about Derek?' She asked, and he eyed her for a second before he nodded his head.

'Aye, take him too.' He decided, and she smiled before she ran down to the hold and found the young boy. Without saying a word, she grabbed ahold of his hand and pulled him up to the cabin. When they entered, she shut the door behind them and smiled down at him.

'We're staying in here for a while.' She informed, before she sat down on the bed and patted the empty space beside her. He walked over and sat down beside her, and she wrapped her arm around his shoulder, and had no intentions of removing it until it was absolutely necessary.

~oOoOoOoOoOo~

There hadn't even been a fight, but as she felt the ship pull sharply to a stop as the anchor was lowered, she knew that the Navy had caught up with them. She looked up as she started to hear shouting out on the deck and she couldn't take it anymore. She unwrapped her arm from Derek's shoulder and stood up.

'What're you doing?' He asked, and she turned back to look at him.

'I'm going to see what is happening.' She said, giving him a kind smile before she took another step forward.

'But didn't the captain tell us not to move until he called for us? Going out to see what is happening would be disobeying him.'

At his words, she turned back to face him and eyed him with a gentle smile on her face. She still couldn't get over how loyal and kind the young boy was. He seemed to be wise beyond his years, and never liked going against the people that he held in high esteem. She didn't know humans were capable of such trust; of such honesty. His face was always open and sincere, and she could read every emotion that passed over his face. Brynne found that strange, because they were normally so deceitful. It was hard to see what they were thinking and what they were feeling; the only expression she had seen on a man's face was lust and fear, and neither of them lasted long. She couldn't help but think, that maybe they all started off as innocent as Derek was, but as they grew, something happened. Maybe people mistreated them; or the world did, and it turned them all into the men she was so used to killing.

And as she gazed at the young boy in front of her, his bright blue eyes almost piercing into her soul, she was frightful for him, because she didn't want him to lose his innocence or trust or kindness. She wanted him to keep those qualities.

She smiled widely at him as she walked back over to stand in front of him, and ruffled his hair.

'I'm not going to go out, do not worry. I'm just going to take a little look from the door, and then come back in, okay? I just want to make sure that everyone is well.' She rubbed her thumb across his cheek, before she turned and walked towards the door.

Taking a deep breath, she reached out and grasped the handle and started to turn it. She slowly opened it, making sure not to open it too wide; just wide enough that she could see what was happening on the deck.

Her eyes found Jack straight away, and beside him was another man. He was around the same height, but that was where the similarities ended. He had short, brown hair, that was neatly trimmed and would've been hidden under the wig that he held in his hands. He was dressed smartly in Naval uniform, the golden thread trimmed coat sparkling under the sun. He wasn't as tanned as Jack either, but certainly wasn't pale.

But none of that was of much concern in Brynne's opinion. What really caught her eye was how relaxed he was in Jack's company. She had seen a few attacks between the Navy and pirates, and no other captain was so at ease when they were in company of a pirate. They were always cautious, wanting to make sure they didn't do anything to them; they always wanted to upper hand. But here was this man, casually walking around Jack, chatting away to him as if he… as if he knew him!

She bit her lip, and focused as hard as she could, so she could hear what he was saying to him. And what she heard confirmed her suspicions.

'It's been too long, Jack.' He muttered, as he came to stand in front of him again. Jack looked at him with disgust, before he forced a smile on his face.

'Indeed it has, Smith.' He retorted, before he leaned against the wheel of his beloved ship. 'I take it you're a captain now?'

'Commodore, actually. And you're still a lying, thieving pirate, I take it?'

'The one and the same.' Jack grinned, and Brynne gulped as she quickly shut the door and walked back over to Derek.

'What's happening?' He asked, and she turned to face him with wide eyes.

'They've caught up with us. They're aboard, we just need to stay in here, I'm sure everything will work out. Especially when…' she trailed off as she looked towards the door again. She had no idea why she was so surprised about this, but she was, and she didn't like it. She didn't like the feeling of… possessiveness that was coming over her. Surely she wasn't getting upset because she discovered she didn't know something about him?

'"Especially when" what?' Derek prompted, and she shook her head as she turned away from the door and settled her gazed on him again.

'Especially when Captain Sparrow knows the man in charge.' She finished, her voice just above a whisper as she wrapped her arm around Derek's shoulder again.

* * *

_**Review and let me know what you think! I love hearing from you guys! It always inspires me to write! **_

_**~Charlotte.x**_


	9. Chapter IX

**_We get to actually meet Commodore Smith in this chapter. So, we'll see whether or not we've to like him or hate him! _**

**_Thank you for reviewing the last chapter, it really puts a smile on my face!_**

* * *

_~Your finest hour won't be wasted, wasted,  
Hey, hey, hell is what you make, make,  
Rise against your fate, fate,  
Nothing's gonna keep you down,  
Even if it's killing you,  
Because you know the truth.~_

_Sixx: A.M. - This Is Gonna Hurt._

* * *

**Chapter IX.**

'So, I've heard that you're trying to find another way to live forever, Jack.' Smith stated as he circled Jack once more, before stopping in front of him again.

'What of it?' Jack muttered, his eyes darting towards the cabin for a second as he saw the door slowly close. Smith followed his eye line and when he noticed where he was looking, he grinned.

'What are you hiding there, Jack?' He asked, before he signalled to two of his men who started to make their way over to the cabin. Jack took a step forward but Smith raised his arm and stopped him from moving any further.

Brynne and Derek were still sitting on the bed, when suddenly the door burst open. They both jumped up and Brynne immediately put herself in front of Derek, shielding him from the intruders. They came over to her and as soon as they were in front of her, she reacted. She placed her hands on the first man's chest and gave him a forceful push backwards, sending him on to his back on the floor. The other man looked at her with surprise on his face and she stared back at him, her glare filled with hatred.

However, her gaze was shifted to the man that was on the floor as he started to pull himself back up from the floor.

She was too busy watching for what he was going to do, that she completely forgot about Derek, until she heard him shout in protest. Her head whipped around to see why, and she saw the intruder holding his arm tightly in his hand. Before she could even react, hands were at the top of her arms and were starting to haul her out of the cabin.

'He has a wench, Commodore Smith.' The one that was holding her said, and she hissed at him, causing him to give her a weird look. He didn't let her go until she was standing right beside the both of them. Her eyes scanned the deck, and she found Derek with the rest of the crew, circled by the Naval officers.

'No, she's not a wench; she's too pretty to be one.' He grinned and she glared at him but said nothing in reply. 'But I don't think she's yours either,' He continued, turning to look back at Jack. 'You're not the kind to settle down, are you? And not with a blonde either.'

Brynne frowned at him at his comment, before she reached up and ran her fingers through her blonde hair.

'What do you want, Smith?' Jack growled, neither agreeing or disagreeing with his comment.

'Haven't I already made it clear?' He grinned, and Jack ground his teeth together before he rolled his eyes.

'A way to live forever?' He ventured, and was answered by Smith's growing smirk. Jack had to resist the urge to punch the stupid smirk off of his face.

'You're still as smart as you were before.' He replied cockily, and Jack fisted his hands; one more stupid remark from him and he was going to do it. He was going to punch him.

'How do you know each other?' Brynne asked, and the crew nodded their head in approval at her curiosity. They had been wondering the same thing since their captain said he knew Commodore Smith.

'Oh, we go way back, don't we Jack? Back when this ship was the _Wicked Wench_. When he worked for the East India Trading Company. Those were good times, weren't they?'

Jack's fingers twitched and Brynne noticed. She reached out on instinct, and grabbed ahold of his wrist. Jack's hands immediately relaxed as he looked down at her pale, dainty hand wrapped around his wrist; the one that his brand was burned onto.

'Good times? If transporting humans to be sold as slaves; hearing them moan in pain and agony; hearing them scream their distress as they watched their loved ones died. If you think that those were the good times, then yes, the best of them.' Jack growled, and Brynne gently squeezed the wrist that she held.

'The East India Trading Company?' Brynne questioned, before she turned to look Jack in the eye. He didn't want to turn away from Smith, but he couldn't not meet her questioning gaze. When he was finally looking at her, she continued, 'You used to work for those awful people?'

'Awful?' Smith cut in and Jack ground his teeth together as he tore his gaze away from Brynne - though, he did seem a bit reluctant doing so. He had to admit that she was better to look at than _Commodore Smith. _'They're not awful. They just wanted to make sure that the people that roamed the seas deserved to be there.'

'Deserved to be there?' Brynne hissed, as she took a step forward. 'Who says who can belong to the sea, and who cannot? There is no special criteria that you must meet. The only thing you must have is a respect for her, and that's it! Good or bad. Rich or poor. Innocent or guilty. It does not matter, you just need to have a love for the freedom that she brings, and deal with every challenge she throws at you; knowing that she's doing it for the best.'

'My, my Jack. You've got a winner here. She understands your love for the sea. What is she, your soulmate?' He grinned and Brynne was confused at his words.

What on Earth was a "soulmate"? She had no idea, but she made a mental note to ask Jack about it later.

'Let's just say she's had her own experiences with the sea.' Jack smirked, and when he felt her hold on his wrist loosen, he pulled it from her grasp. He then grabbed her hand in his, and pulled her that bit closer to his side, but not close enough that Smith noticed.

Smith simply hummed in response as he slowly began to circle them again, almost like a vulture and Brynne followed his every move. She didn't like being circled like this. She hated it. There had only been two occasions that it had happened to her before; one was the time she ran into those Sirens, and the other was the first time she went on land and transformed into her human form. Both times ended drastically - for entirely different reasons - and she wasn't about to let her guard down again.

'So, have you had any leads on how to live forever Jack? I'm assuming that you've been searching ever since the Fountain went to ruins.'

'Why would I tell you? What makes you think I'm going to help you? What makes you think I _want _to help you?' Jack snapped, as he took a step forward and released Brynne's hand from his grasp. As soon as he did, her whole body felt different. She hadn't noticed it at first, but now that the contact was gone, she realised her whole body had been tingling again. She was so confused by that; she couldn't understand why her body reacted to his touch that way.

'I never asked for help, Jack. I just asked if you had any success.' Commodore Smith replied and Jack narrowed his eyes at him.

'But I know you. If I do say I've had success, you'll ask for my help then. And even if I say no, you've got the way. I'm not falling for it, Smith.' Jack declared, taking a step back and brushing up against Brynne. Once again, her whole body began to tingle and she stood rigid, not daring herself to relax, because it was like fire was running through her every nerve, and she was sure she would be engulfed if she succumbed to it.

'Is that so?' Smith asked, and Brynne didn't like the glint that appeared in his eyes. It spoke of something dreadful to come. She could feel it in her bones. The only problem was that she didn't know this man; she didn't know how bad he could get. 'Well, Jack, I suggest you tell me, because it won't end well for you, or your pretty friend if you don't.'

Jack scoffed and Brynne was confused by that. This man just threatened both of them with their lives, and he was _scoffing_? What the hell? Did he think he was immortal at this moment?

'You were never a killer, Smith. Never will be. It was the reason it took you so long to rise through the ranks, because they didn't want someone who couldn't attack and kill pirates or unruly slaves.' He grinned and him, and Smith's hands clenched into fists at his side. Brynne was sure she saw his fingers twitch towards his pistol before they clenched back into fists. She smirked. Jack was right; he didn't have it in him to kill. His threat was empty. She felt much more relaxed with that knowledge, and her shoulders slumped slightly, making her look more at home.

Jack noticed and smirked, before he reached out and ran his fingertips against the back of her hand. This time, she relaxed further and as she turned her head to the side, the expression on his face worried her. It looked… smug. Did he know what his touch did to her? And if he did, how did he know? Was it possible that her touch did that to him?

She had so many questions, and she couldn't believe she was thinking about them when the Navy was aboard their ship.

'Fine, Jack. You've got me. I was never one for killing; but I was one for retrieving, wasn't I?' Smith's previously dismayed look disappeared, and was replaced by the arrogant smirk he had worn when he first stepped foot on the _Black Pearl_.

'What's that supposed to mean?' Brynne asked, and for the first time since she arrived on the deck, his gaze flickered over to her. His smirk seemed to grow before his eyes flickered to Jack, and then over to his ship. Before he spoke, his eyes landed back on Jack.

'If you look over to the _Defiant_, you'll see that I've got something that may, interest you. Both of you.' Smith muttered before he looked over to his ship that was anchored beside the _Pearl _once more_. _Brynne and Jack looked at each other in confusion, before they looked over to his ship, and saw a large box being tugged onto the deck. Yet, it was completely obscured by a large sheet.

With another wave of his hand, the sailors that had been tugging it aboard removed the sheet and Brynne's eyes zeroed in on its contents, and her eyes widened in shock and fear.

She took a step forward, as if trying to get a better look, still in complete disbelief at what she was seeing. But it wasn't going away. What she saw was definitely there.

She inhaled shakily, a sob catching in her throat as she brought her hand up to her mouth. When she spoke, her voice was barely a whisper.

'Marion?'

She shook her head in denial.

'No!' Brynne gasped as she ran from he place behind Jack and over to the railing. She continued to look at Marion, who was confined into that tiny box, doubled up on herself and look positively weak. Her fingers dug into the wood of the railing before she turned around to look at Smith. When she saw the smug look that was on his face, she couldn't take it anymore. She lunged for him.

A hiss escaped through her lips as her hands wrapped around his neck.

'You let her go!' She screeched but before she had the chance to do anything else, Jack was grabbing ahold of her waist and hauling her off of him. She knew it was Jack because her whole body felt like it had caught on fire suddenly, but it fuelled her anger instead of stopping it.

'She's done nothing to you! Why would you do that?' She asked as she stood still in Jack's grasp. His hands were grabbing the top of her arms and holding her back against his chest.

'Because she tried to attack the ship.' Smith retorted and Brynne's eyes widened in shock as her mouth fell open. Marion tried to attack the ship? All by herself? What the hell was she playing at? She could barely attack a small fisherman's boat, let alone a Naval Brig!

'And I knew Jack would not give me answers, so I wanted to see what she had to say.' He declared and Brynne's eyes narrowed.

'Marion would not say anything.' She said, and he smirked at her and there was a sadistic glint hidden within his eyes.

'Oh, but she did. It's amazing what people reveal when in pain.' His smirk widened and for the second time, Brynne's eyes widened at shock as she realised just what he was implying. She struggled against Jack's hold but he held her fast.

'What did you do to her?' She screamed, as she continued to thrash in Jack's grasp. However, when he told her to calm down she fell still.

'I mainly persuaded her to tell me all she knew. I was amazed at how… _weak _she was.' Smith stated and Brynne ground her teeth together. 'She gave up within five minutes. I thought you mermaids were supposed to be tough?'

'She is not weak! She is simply fragile.' She finished in a whisper and she thought that maybe, just maybe he was sorry for doing what he did; that there was contrition in his eyes, but sadly, she was wrong. He remained silent for a beat before he burst with laughter; it was loud and obnoxious and it had Brynne clenching her teeth together and struggling in Jack's grasp once more. She needed to get to him; she needed to hurt him - just like the way he had hurt Marion.

'Is there a difference?' He retorted and she hissed at him once more.

'Of course there is! She is fragile from being told she's weak! Even her own mother said it. How do you think she could not find The Phoenix's Bow before?'

'It was your mother that was dying? I thought you said it was a friend?' Jack asked and Brynne turned her head to look at him. She bit her lower lip for a second before she sighed.

'I hate talking about it, that's why I said it was a friend. None of us were ever close to her; the only one that was _sort of _was Talulah, and that's only because she tried to follow our mother's footsteps, but even then she didn't get on with her often. But she was still our mother and when she became unwell and asked for her dying wish to be to find The Phoenix's Bow, none of us could protest.' Jack released her and she turned around to face him fully. Just talking to him here made her forget that Smith was there; and that he was listening. 'But we couldn't find it, and I'm thinking it's because we weren't motivated. We didn't love our mother, and we all believed that death is just a part of life, so we didn't want her to live forever; not just because of our relationship with her.'

Behind her she heard Smith sigh impatiently and she turned to glare at him.

'Hence the reason I don't need you locking her in a box, torturing her for information and then calling her weak!' She stated, taking a step forward and watching as he took an automatic step backwards. 'Especially when I heard the squeal you gave when I attacked you. I've said it a million times; they don't call me The Hunter for nothing.'

She grinned when she saw his throat bob as he swallowed hard and she couldn't help but chuckle softly. She still wanted to kill him for what he'd done with Marion, but this was always better. Seeing the fear in their eyes and their posture was always more satisfying.

However, his look of pure fear didn't last long for he started to chuckle softly to himself.

'But you see, you want to see your precious little sister happy and well, don't you?' He started as he walked right up to stand in front of her. 'So there is only one way that is going to happen; you help me find The Phoenix's Bow.'

It was Brynne's turn to chuckle.

'No way.' She replied immediately, and she was confused when Smith just smirked at her.

'I don't think you understand what I'm saying,' he started, his voice just a whisper so only her and Jack could hear what he was saying. 'If you want to see your sister again, you will lead me to The Phoenix's Bow.' Smith declared and she just stared at him before she slowly nodded her head. 'I'll be keeping Marion - was it? - until we get there. Consider it a faith payment to make sure you actually do it, understand?'

Brynne thought about protesting, but her eyes flickered over to Marion once more and she knew she couldn't.

She nodded her head once more and sighed.

'Okay. I will lead you to The Phoenix's Bow.' She said, as she pulled her eyes away from Marion and turned back to Smith. 'Just do not hurt her.'

* * *

_**Did you see that coming? I hope not! **_

_**Anyway, review and let me know what you thought of this chapter! And I'll see you in the next chapter! :D**_

_****__**OH! READ THIS PLEASE! AFTER THIS CHAPTER, THIS STORY WILL BE GOING ON A PERMANENT HIATUS. PERSONAL PROBLEMS HAVE LED TO THIS AND I CAN NO LONGER COPE WITH HAVING SO MANY STORIES ON THE GO! I WILL JUST BE WRITING "ECHOES DOWN THE STREAM" AND "PATIENCE". SORRY GUYS. **_

_**~Charlotte.x**_


	10. IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT - AGAIN

_**Okay guys. Here is an official note, just to make sure that everyone sees it and that it's well known and all of that. THIS STORY IS GOING ON A PERMANENT HIATUS. I mean that. I have no idea when I'll be back but it won't be after a month or two, this will last a while. I mean it. **_

_**The reason being is because, well, I just can't write anymore! My personal life is completely a mess and I just... what was once an escape is turning into a prison. I hate feeling that way about writing, but I do, and it's... I know this is a horrible thing to do, but at least I'm letting you know. A part of me just wanted to drop of the face of the earth, but I knew I couldn't do that.**_

_**I tried and tried but I have lost the fun in writing and I hate it when I do that. So I'm going to take some time off and just write for FUN with no deadlines or worrying, just whenever my mood takes me. I need to start living by my favourite quote "Better to write for yourself and have no public, than write for the public and have no self".  
**_

_**I love getting the reviews as much as the next person, and I love hearing your feed back, but I'm no longer writing for myself or for fun anymore. It's stressing me out because I don't want to disappoint you or make you wait, and in turn, it's making me suffer. **_

_**I am sorry for doing this when I'm JUST off an hiatus, but... I just can't anymore. And I'm sorry if you're pissed, but I just really don't give a damn anymore.**_

_**I hope you'll be here when I come back... and if not, I understand... **_

_**~Charlotte.x**_


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